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BRIGK-KILN.

No. 277,421. Patented May 8,1883.

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BRICK KILN,

No. 277.421. Patented May 8,1883.

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BRICK KILN. No. 277,421. Patented May 8,1883.

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ATENT WILLIS n. GRAVES, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR on ONE-HALF TO THE HYDRAULIG PRESS BRICK COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

BRICK-KILN.

SPECIFICATIO N forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,421, dated May 8, 1883.

Application filed November 15, 1882. N model.)

,To all whom it may concern Be it known that l', WILLIS N. GRAVES, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,

, have invented a certain new and useful Imp'rovement in Brick-Kilns, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, andin which- Figure 1 is a front elevation with a small portion of the escape-flue broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2 2 Fig. 1, showing one side of the kiln filled with bricks and the other side empty. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2, with part of the'floor of the kiln broken away to Show the distributing-flues beneath.

Myimprovement relates to those kilns which i have an up and down draft through means of suitable flues connecting with the same fire chamber or chambers, and fiues'beneath aperforated floor communicating with the main chimney and outlets on top of the kiln, the flues from the fire chamber or chambers and outlets being provided with suitable dampers.

My invention consists, first, in the arrangement of the flues beneath the floor of the kiln; and, secondly, in a means for preventing the products of combustion taking the shortest course from the tops of the vertical flues to the flues beneath the floor, as more fully described hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the outer walls of the kiln, strengthened by ties B, as usual, and having the customary lining, G, of fire-clay.

V D represents the kiln or bfick-chamber,with a floor, E, with passages F, forming a communication with flues beneath the floor. The floor preferably consists of tile made from fireclay, supported on walls or ribs G, which form theflues beneath the floor. (See Fig.3.) Every fourth wall G joins with the sides of the kilnchamber, forming one main flue for each firechamber, or each set of fire-chambers where two series are used, as shown, and these main flues are subdivided by the intermediate walls G, which do not quite extend to the sides of the chamber, as shown in Fig. 3, thus forming small distributing flues H H H H Of these three intermediate walls, the two outer ones have inturned ends H so that as much heatis deflectedinto the two outerflues,HH as passes directly into the two centralflues, H H

I have shown a series of fire-chambers, I, at each side of the kiln as the preferred form; but one series only may be used.

1 represents the grate-bars of the fire-chain hers, and J the doors thereto.

K represents the ash-pits.

The flues H H H H communicate with a transverse flue, L, which connects with the chimney or uptake M. The communication between the chimney and flue L is regulated or entirely closed, as desired, by a damper, N.

Each fire-chamber is provided with a flue,

0, leading to or near the top of the kiln-cham-.

ber. These flues can be closed by dampers P.

Q are chimneys or outlets on top of the kiln, preferably one for each pair of fire-chambers where two series are used, and these outlets can be regulated or closed bymeans of dampers R.

The operation of the kiln is as follows: Supposing it is first desired to have a downdraft, or, in other words, have the heat and products of combustion pass from the top of the kilnchamber down through the mass of bricks, the flues H H H H are closed by pieces of bricks and refuse matter thrown in through the tirechambers, the dampers P of the flues 0 opened, the dampers R of the chimneys Q are closed, and the damper N of the chimney M is opened. The fires then being started,the heat and products of combustion will pass up through the flues 0, down through the mass of bricks, through the openingsF into the flues H H H H and from thence through the transverse flue L to the uptake or chimneyM, as shown by full arrows, Fig. 2. Then, when an updraft is desired, the flues H H H H are opened by the obstruction being removed, as by means of an instrument introduced through the fire-chambers, the dampers R of the chimneys Q, opened, the dampers P of the tines 0 closed, and the damper Not the chimney M closed. The heat and products of combustion then pass from the fire-chambers to the distributing-flues H H H H through the passages or openings 5F, and up through the mass of bricks, escaping through the chimneys Q. The draft can thus be changed with very little trouble and in a short time as Enron.

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- that some means be employed to prevent the heat and products of combustion from taking the shortest course from .the tops of the fines' O to the fines H H H H to avoid ov'erburning the bricks next to the fines O, and to cause an equal burning of the bricks throughout the kiln. Furthermore, as the bricks are being burned they shrink, forming a fine between them and the sides of the kiln-chamber, down which the heat and products of combustion would be drawn. To avoid these difficulties I place tile S, of suitable vlength,with their lower ends resting upon the upper edge of the outer walls ofthe fines O and their upper ends resting upon the bricks, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus the heat and products of combustion are compelled to pass up over the tile before they can descend. As the tile would not rest well if placed directly upon the topsof the semicircular fines O, I first place blocks, S, offire-clay on top of the fines, covering the V-shaped spaces between the fines, as shown in Fig. 3. The inner corners of the blocks are cut off, concave shape, so as not to obstruct the openings of the fines. A common brick, S can be placed between the ends of the blocks S to' 2. In abrick-kiln construotedto have a downdraft, the tile arranged to prevent the heat and products of combustion taking'the. shortest course from the tops of the vertical fines to the fines beneath the fioor of the kiln-chamber, for

the purpose set forth.

WILLIs N. GRAVES.

Witnesses:

, SAML. KNIGHT,

GEO. H. KNIGHT. 

